LSU Baseball Legend Skip Bertman Dies at 88

BATON ROUGE, La. - Stanley "Skip" Bertman, the legendary architect of LSU baseball, a transformative athletic director and one of the most influential figures in college sports history, has died at age 88.

Bertman passed away at 1:12 a.m. Friday, August 14, 2026, at Baton Rouge General Hospital, surrounded by his daughters.

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Building a Dynasty: Skip Bertman's 18 Seasons at LSU

Bertman arrived in Baton Rouge in 1984 and turned a downtrodden program into the standard of college baseball. Over 18 seasons, he built LSU into a powerhouse, leading the Tigers to the NCAA tournament 16 times and the College World Series 11 times. He won five national championships, in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000, and maintained a perfect record in championship games, along with a .754 winning percentage in NCAA tournament play that stands as the highest in college baseball history.

The Walk-Off Moments That Defined a Championship Era

Two of those national titles came in walk-off fashion: Warren Morris's two-run home run to beat Miami in 1996, and Brad Cresse's title-clinching single in 2000.

LSU won the SEC seven times under Bertman. His speeches, feel for the game and natural charisma made him a giant in Baton Rouge and in the college baseball world. Beyond the championships, Bertman reshaped how the sport was marketed and experienced, regularly packing the original Alex Box Stadium and turning Tiger baseball into a premier community event. LSU led the nation in college baseball attendance in each of his final six seasons and has led the country in attendance 26 times since 1996.

The street where the old Alex Box Stadium once stood bears his name, as does the playing field at the new Alex Box Stadium, named "Skip Bertman Field" in his honor.

International Honors and Individual Awards

Bertman also coached internationally, serving as an assistant coach on the gold medal-winning 1988 U.S. Olympic team and as head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team in Atlanta, which won bronze.

Beyond Coaching: Bertman as LSU's Athletic Director

He stepped down from coaching in 2001 to become LSU's athletic director, a role he held until 2008. During his tenure, he hired three national championship coaches, Nick Saban, Les Miles and Paul Mainieri, and modernized athletic facilities, spearheaded construction of the new Alex Box Stadium, and oversaw a run in which LSU's women's basketball team reached five consecutive Final Fours.

Bertman was inducted into the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. His honors include five-time Collegiate Baseball Coach of the Year (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000), two-time Baseball America Coach of the Year (1986, 1996) and seven-time SEC Coach of the Year (1986, 1990-1993, 1996, 1997).

Skip Bertman Is Survived By — A Life Well Lived

Bertman was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Sandy, who died in March 2025 at age 87 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and their daughter, Dr. Lisa Jo Bertman Pate, who died of cancer in 2012. Even after Sandy's death, Bertman remained a fixture at Alex Box Stadium for baseball games and was present in Omaha in June 2025 to see LSU win its eighth College World Series championship.

He is survived by his daughters Jan, Jodi and Lori, and his grandchildren.

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Gallery Credit: Jude Walker

Source: Skip Bertman, Architect of LSU Baseball Greatness and Five-Time National Champion, Dies at 88